PROJECT
Tipperary, Lochee
Built to house workers from the local mills in the early 1800s, the small area around Athol Street in Lochee came to be known locally as ‘Tipperary’, or ‘Tip’ due to the number of Irish residents who had arrived in search of regular employment in the growing Jute industry.
Tip was eventually torn down in the 1960s to make way for modern housing. However, the memory of this area remained in the hearts and minds of those who called it home, gaining a proud folklore status within the community of Lochee for many years after its demolition.
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Unfortunately, even with the mass local recognition of its existence, there is a limited amount of recorded data from official sources and archives.
Lochee History Group
The precursor for the Tipperary project can be traced back to the work of a small local history group, consisting of founding members Tam Potter and Larry Taylor, who set out to discover their own family history as a hobby, whilst also helping others research in the Lochee library.
Their own lineage, and the ancestry of many locals led them back to Tip, but they soon realised there was a severe lack of records involving the area.​
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Although disheartened, the group continued with their efforts, with countless hours spend digging deep in the archives of both Dundee City Council and Dundee University. However, their endeavour was unavailing.
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This all changed when an old hand drawn map of Tip was unexpectedly handed into the library.
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Unbeknown to the group at the time, the discovery of this unanticipated artefact was about to send them on a journey that would lead to the reconstruction of this lost area.
The hand-drawn map of Tip.
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The map was handed in by a local named Jimmy Blackwood, who'd been given it from the 90 year old sister of the creator, John Mcanally, who was a resident of the area himself. It consisted of a detailed layout, including the surrounding buildings and streets that made up the whole area.
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Not only did this map allow the group to gather more information on the layout, the map also included a list of 27 local characters and their nicknames.
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Sadly, John had now passed away before the map had reached the group, so the majority of these characters had no identity beyond these nicknames, nor did the group quite know how old the map was.
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Nonetheless, this invaluable intervention reinvigorated the group, and would become the catalyst to the eventual forthcoming 'Tipperary' project. ​
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Click on the map to expand
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The Tipperary project
Around the same time as the maps discovery, local businessman, Michael Garty was making plans to produce a documentary film about Tip, with aim to highlight his own family's history and connection to the area.
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After a discussion with business partner, Jim Piggot, who together owned TPLD, a Dundee based company with over 10 years of experience in developing bespoke Game-based learning solutions for clients all over the world
They decided the best way forward was to create something forward thinking and innovative.
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They contacted the local history group to gain some insight from their personal research, but once aware of the map, they instantly realised the potential to move forward with the plan to reimagine Tip through the use of ground breaking immersive technology.
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Reaching out to leading games design institution, Abertay University, they were invited to discuss their idea with the team from InGAME, a newly funded Collaborative R&D project.
InGAME x Creative Clusters
Led by Abertay University, in partnership with the University of Dundee, the University of St Andrews, the purpose of InGAME was to deliver innovative research and R&D support to games companies in the
City of Dundee and beyond.
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In an even further act of serendipitous fortune, InGAME had released a Collaborative R&D Scheme that aimed to respond to the needs of the Dundee videogames cluster by unlocking access to research and development expertise, state-of-the-art R&D resources and diverse talent to collaborate on small scope, high impact R&D experiments that help validate new ideas and de-risk innovation opportunities. The Scheme issued vouchers unlocking up to £50,000 of R&D support (non-monetary award).
Michael and Jim, under newly created SME, Floyen, were awarded the voucher, allowing them to develop an AR prototype that would bring the area of Tipperary back to life through the use of games technology and design.
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More information on the pioneering work by InGAME can be found here
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Tipperary installation and APP Development
​The team were aligned with another Dundee based games company, Konglomerate Games. with aim to developing the narrative, design and functionality of Tipperary.
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The group then brought Tip residents Joe Carrol and Davie Pullans on board to give the first hand experience of how Tip looked.
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Together, they created a story about a character named Robert Gallacher, a 10 year old boy sent to Lochee from his home in Clydebank. Staying with his great Aunt’s family in 1941, we follow Robert as he slowly discovers the area and what his life will be like there. Michael Garty whose own family's stories inspired the narrative, was awarded the role of the narrator.
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The team would work with artist Calum Murray to bring the map to life within a games environment.
​Further work by InGAME R&D fellow Divij Sood, would create the AR APP version. A detailed breakdown on his process and framework can be found here
The return of Tipperary, Lochee
The finished game was then installed within the Lochee library, for all to use, allowing those with memories of the area to walk the street of Tip once again. This also allowed younger generations to gain deep insight into the history and culture of the area they live.
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Here is a complete walkthrough created by Konglomerate, more information on their role within the project, along with insight into their other work, can be found over on their website, here.
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The game can also be played via the app on Android devices
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Download the App over on Google Play here
Rendered artwork created by Calum Murray
This can also be viewed in video format over on the Documentary page